Gastonia man James Michael Thomas, 41, is now facing a range of felony charges — including one under North Carolina’s rarely used statute prohibiting possession of a “weapon of mass death and destruction.”
Arrest Details:
Thomas, of Gastonia (zip code 28052), was booked at 1:23 am on Nov. 9, 2025, by the Gaston County Police Department, according to court records.
Law enforcement records list the following charges:
Felony – Weapon, Possess, Mass Destruction (Docket 25CR459228)
Felony – Cruelty to Animals (Docket 24CR461828)
Misdemeanor – Manufacture of Alcoholic Beverages Without Permit (Docket 25CR459228)
He is being held pre-trial and currently without bail posted.
What the Weapons Statute Covers:
The charge of “weapon of mass death and destruction” refers to North Carolina General Statute § 14-288.8. Under the law, prohibited items include:
- Explosives or incendiaries: bombs, grenades, rockets with propellant over 4 ounces, missiles, mines.
- Firearms readily convertible to expel projectiles by explosive or propellant and with a bore larger than one-half inch.
- Any fully automatic firearm.
- Any combination of parts designed or intended for use in converting a device into one of the above weapons.
